Avocado Fritters with Cashew Hollandaise Sauce

If you love avocados, then you are going to LOVE these avocado fritters! They taste like fried guacamole and are a meatless alternative to guacamole chicken burgers I’ve made before. I am far from a vegetarian but felt like I had a lot of meat last week and needed a break. In addition to the fritters, I also made a roasted root veggie pot pie, which I’ll share the recipe for in another post.

In an effort to eat healthy and stay on track, I try to incorporate veggies and good sources of protein in my dishes whenever I can. In addition to the avocado, these fritters are packed with spinach, quinoa and fresh cilantro. They’re great on their own or as a side. I had some for lunch this week along with leftover sweet potato quesadillas I had frozen.

And as for the cashew hollandaise sauce, it’s so good! I’ve been wanting to explore cashew “cheese”, and this sauce definitely has a spreadable cheese-like consistency. I finally made a cashew based “parmesan” a few weeks ago, and it’s really good. You just combine raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder in a food processor et voila! Now, if you’re expecting it to taste exactly like parmesan cheese, you’ll be disappointed. But if you go into it with an open mind, it is a good substitute. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, cheese (especially the aged varieties) and I do not get along so well anymore, and I really need to avoid it when I can and indulge in it when I can’t avoid the craving any longer!

The fritters would also be good with a chipotle or honey jalapeno sauce if you didn’t want to make the cashew hollandaise.

What are some ways you incorporate more veggies into your diet? And do you have any favorite cheese alternatives?

Place cashews in a small bowl. Boil about a cup of water and pour over the cashews. Let soak.

In the meantime, prepare the quinoa according to package directions and cool once finished. While the quinoa is cooking, in a large bowl coarsely mash the avocados. Mix in the lime zest and juice, spinach, jalapeno, and cilantro. Add the cooled quinoa to the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Spread a layer of panko breadcrumbs on a large baking tray. Form the avocado mixture into small to medium size patties and place on the breadcrumbs. Top with more breadcrumbs being sure to lightly press the breadcrumbs into the mixture. Refrigerate till firm.

While the fritters are chilling, drain the cashes and place in a food processor along with the 3 tablespoons of hot water, tumeric, lime juice, olive oil, and salt. Blend until smooth. You can adjust the consistency by adding more water or olive oil.

Once the fritters are set, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of coconut oil. Fry the patties until golden brown on both sides. Serve the fritters warm with the cashew hollandaise. Refrigerate any leftovers.
*Recipe adapted from thekitchn.com